Zusätzliche Modulinfos: Modulbeschreibung der Modulvariante Biology of Bats close

With more than 1,400 species worldwide, bats are an evolutionary and ecological success story. Bats exist in almost all terrestrial biomes. They are particularly diverse in tropial habitats where they constitute the majority of sympatric mammal species at many places. Owing to their ability for flapping flight, they can cover long distances on a daily or seasonal basis. Bats have evolved numerous adaptations to survive and flourish in the darkness of the night. Echolocation is an important sensory modality for bats to orient in the darkness and to hunt prey. Some species form colonies with millions of conspecifics, others are more solitary. Many species are threatened owing to direct persecution by humans or because of anthropogenic landuse changes. The topics of this lecture (phylogeny, reproduction biology, physiology, senses, social behavior, eology and conservation) aims at introducing students to the fascinating world of this taxon. Along this line, recent research articles will be presented and discussed. Further, excursions will be organized. close